Though some may not consider Far Cry Instincts a serious AAA title, the success of the PC series will give a boost, especially if Far Cry wins a few nods come 2004 awards time. This is not the twitch shoot DOOM 3 is, nor is it the same type of game as Splinter Cell 3. If developer Crytek can make Instincts beautiful on Xbox like it did on PC, it will do well in game retail kiosks, or possibly on a demo disc. The potential for an online map editor should get the hardcore folks geekin' as the New Year arrives, helping to make Instinct much more sought after than it currently is.

EA scored big by nabbing the TimeSplitters franchise. A fan-favorite, this solid series became instantly more attractive under EA's umbrella. While the big EA is said not to have a major role in development, a case for TimeSplitter 3's future success can be seen in Burnout 3. Critically acclaimed, the Burnout series never sold particularly well. Thanks to EA's marketing and distribution reach, the third in the series has already outsold the first two iterations. TimeSplitters should benefit in a similar way. It is so nice when a good game gets the audience it deserves.

I scratched my head when Microsoft originally picked up this title for publication. At E3 2004, it was basically disregarded by fans and media. That's not to say the new Unreal Championship didn't appear promising, it was just lost at E3 and then quickly got the boot by Microsoft. Now in the happy hands of Midway, the next Unreal is looking far better than it ever did with MS. With the inclusion of at least one secret Mortal Kombat character (which will certainly drive sales), this may be the first big online sensation of 2005. The first Unreal Championship helped launch Xbox Live, but couldn't stand the test of time. The new focus on hand-to-hand combat and the addition of a third-person perspective could make for a breakthrough hit or a total failure. I'll hedge my bets on success, especially if (or rather when) a demo hits the public in early 2005.

Gearbox hasn't had the greatest rep as a game developer. Noted mostly for porting Halo to the PC, Gearbox is about to become a major player in the video game world. I have not met a soul who has seen or played Brothers in Arms who is not in awe of its beauty or who doesn't want to spend all day playing it. Historically accurate, Brothers in Arms tells seven days in the life of a real Band of Brothers as they trek through France. With squad-based play, intelligent AI, and Xbox Live support, this one will likely be a critical darling and a financial success. Buy yourself some Ubisoft now.

Now you have a good understanding of the two quarters. Traditionally, the first quarter of the new year is relatively slow, spotted with one or two big games. So why are there so many great games coming in Q1 2005? Part of it has to be the Halo 2 and GTA factor. Everyone wants to clear the way and not get trampled. On the other end, the stakes for games are much higher these days thanks to rising development costs. Publishers are more sensitive to the thoughts of focus groups, which means games sometimes get delayed for changes that will make them more appealing to the general consumer.

Market studies have shown that games actually tend to do well in Q1, at least that's what everyone keeps telling me. Since there have never been this many high-profile games in the first quarter before on Xbox, it could backfire on some of these companies.

Check back tomorrow for the conclusion of this titanic battle as we pit games against one another to see which quarter is better, Q1 2005 or holiday 2004.